Kathmandu, Feb 8: Nepali Congress president Gagan Thapa has announced plans to move the health insurance program forward as a national pride project, saying the next government will place it at the top of its agenda based on the belief that “health is not charity, it is security.”
In a video message shared on social media, Thapa said the party has prepared a clear plan to end the situation where citizens are forced to sell their homes or land to pay for medical treatment. Recalling his experience as a former health minister, he said the suffering he witnessed shows the urgent need for deep reform in the current health system.
He said many citizens are forced to discontinue treatment midway due to lack of money, and families that have just escaped poverty often fall back into it when faced with serious illness. Citing World Health Organisation standards, Thapa said people should spend no more than 20 per cent of treatment costs from their own pockets, while in Nepal the figure stands above 57 per cent. This, he said, shows the state has failed to play its role properly in the health sector.
Thapa expressed concern that although the Health Insurance Act was enacted and the program launched during his tenure, the scheme has recently become disorganised. He said that despite efforts by Health Minister Pradip Paudel to improve it, the program now faces the risk of collapse. Bringing it back on track, he said, would be his top priority.
Stating that the Nepali Congress manifesto will include a detailed plan to fix health insurance, Thapa committed to turning it into a national pride project if given responsibility.
He outlined four main pillars for reform. The first is universal coverage. He said health insurance will be made mandatory for every Nepali, including those in the informal sector. The state will bear the premium for the poorest citizens, senior citizens, and persons with disabilities. To fund this, he proposed imposing special taxes on products such as alcohol and cigarettes, with the revenue going directly into the health insurance fund.
The second reform focuses on integrating scattered health and social security programs. The third involves strengthening the health system by clearly defining the roles of all three levels of government, in line with federalism, along with the private sector.
As the fourth and most important pillar, Thapa stressed good governance. He said digital systems will be used to ensure faster and transparent claim payments, remove duplication, and make the insurance board stronger and more effective.
Thapa also made public a phased plan to fully implement health insurance within the next five years. In the first phase, the current disorder in the program will be addressed. The second phase will expand insurance coverage.
By the third phase, reaching the fifth year, all treatment costs except for a defined negative list will be covered by insurance. If achieved, he said, no citizen will be denied treatment due to lack of money, and the need to sell property for healthcare will end permanently.
Emphasising that health is a constitutional right, Thapa said it must be viewed not as charity, but as a guarantee of citizens’ security.
People’s News Monitorin Service
Comments:
Leave a Reply